Cross-Curricular Learning
We specialise in bringing history to life. This includes using stories from our historic places to provide cross-curricular learning opportunities for all Key Stages.
Our learning resources and expert-led Discovery Visit workshops contain a range of activities designed to provide inspiration for teaching and learning across the curriculum.
This guide is intended to help anyone looking to inspire their learners through cross-curricular activities. We’ve organised self-led activities and expert-led workshops by subject and labelled each one with target Key Stages to help you find what's most useful for you and your learners.
Featured Resource - Archaeology Learning Pack (KS1-KS2)
Archaeology uses artifacts and architecture to learn about the past. Archaeologists carry out excavations to find remains that have been left by people or animals in the past, and use science to study their finds carefully.
This pack will help teachers plan an introduction to archaeology for KS1 and KS2 students. Use these resources in the classroom before or after a visit to an English Heritage site to help students get the most out of their learning.
Download the Kit (2.47 MB)English
Our sites have inspired a whole host of myths, legends and folklore, in some cases for thousands of years. From the legendary tale of King Arthur to the dark and mysterious Dracula, writers and storytellers have used our places in a variety of ways.
Use examples from our historic places to inspire your creative writing and encourage your learners to consider how they can tell stories in creative and imaginative ways.
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DIY Folk Tales (KS1-KS2) - Stokesay Castle Teachers' Kit
Use the story of the giants and raven at Stokesay as inspiration for your own story writing and shadow puppetry.
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Tales from English Folklore: Hilda and the Snakes
Watch this video to learn more about the legend of St Hilda and the snakes.
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Create Your Own Legend (KS2-KS3) - Tintagel Castle Teachers' Kit
Get inspired by the myths and legends associated with Tintagel Castle and create your own.
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Did King Arthur Really Exist?
Find out more about the story behind the legend of King Arthur.
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Poetry for a King (KS2-KS3) - Eltham Palace Teachers' Activity Ideas
How do you flatter a king? Learn about how Erasmus’s poem praised Prince Henry (later Henry VIII) and his father, Henry VII, and write your own.
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Battle Abbey Carol (KS3) - Battle Abbey Teachers' Kit
Discover the role of religion in medieval culture and society by studying the meaning of the Battle Abbey Carol.
Maths
Maths is all around us in our everyday lives and the same was true of people in the past. From the use of geometry to determine the design and proportion of some of our most impressive castle keeps, to the careful financial records that give us an insight into the cost of food, clothing and other essentials at our historical sites.
Inspire your learners with activities related to the building of Stonehenge, balancing Battle Abbey’s finances, calculating the unique geometry of Orford Castle, and creating their own patterns in their garden or local park.
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Biscuit Henge (KS1-KS2) - Stonehenge Teachers' Kit
Build your own scale model of Stonehenge using biscuits.
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Garden Geometry (KS1-KS3) - Walmer Castle Outdoor Learning Kit
Use flowers and plants from one of our gardens, or your garden at home, to create geometric patterns.
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Making a Meal of It (KS2-KS3) - Goodrich Castle Teachers' Kit
Learn about the preparation required for a medieval feast and develop your own recipes – complete with ingredient quantities!
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Check the Exchequer (KS3) - Battle Abbey Teachers' Kit
Explore how monasteries kept control of their money by working out Battle Abbey’s finances.
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Castle Geometry (KS3) - Orford Castle Teachers' Kit
Understand the geometry of Orford Castle by working out its dimensions.
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Small Scale Stonehenge (KS3) - Stonehenge Teachers' Kit
Could you be a Stonehenge engineer? Use this activity to help you build an accurate small-scale model of Stonehenge’s final phase.
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Paid Like A Roman (KS1-2) - Hadrian's Wall Teachers' Kit
Use numeracy skills to understand life as a soldier along Hadrian’s Wall.
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Secret Codes and Ciphers (KS2-3) - Dover Castle Discovery Visit
Book an expert-led Discovery Visit to explore Second World War Dover Castle and use maths to break codes and help complete a secret mission.
Science
Our historic places, and the collections they hold, offer many opportunities for scientific exploration.
There’s a lot to discover across our sites – from ornamental gardens and building conservation to wartime technology. Use our spotter sheets to explore outside spaces at our sites, or within your local area, and create your own mini garden at home. Undertake a series of experiments to uncover how science could save and protect fragile artwork for future generations, and find out more about the use of radar during the Second World War.
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Grow Your Own Geometric Garden (KS1-KS2) - Audley End Teachers' Activity Ideas
Take inspiration from the parterre garden at Audley End and grow your own geometric garden at home or in the classroom.
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Spotter Sheets (KS1-KS2) - Walmer Castle Outdoor Learning Kit
Use our range of spotter sheets to explore outside spaces at our sites, at home or in your local area.
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Feeding Stonehenge (KS1-KS4+)
Uncover the science behind food, diet and archaeology at Stonehenge in these activities, created by English Heritage in partnership with STEM Learning, the University of York and Cardiff University.
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Can Science Save the Cell Block? (KS2) - Richmond Castle Cell Block Learning Pack
Consider how science could be used to protect and preserve the fragile 20th-century graffiti inside the cell block at Richmond Castle.
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Richmond Castle: Conserving the Cell Block Graffiti
Find out why it’s important to preserve the graffiti inside Richmond Castle’s cell block and how English Heritage plans to protect it long-term.
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Range, Routes and Radar (KS3) -Pendennis and St Mawes Castle Teachers' Kit
Discover how enemy ships were targeted from the Battery Observation Post (BOP) at Pendennis Castle through this activity focusing on understanding the role of radar.
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Cleaning a Collection (KS1-3) - Hadrian's Wall Teachers' Kit
Use scientific theory to understand how historical objects are cleaned and looked-after by conservators.
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Darwin's Daring Discoveries (KS2-3) - Down House Discovery Visit
Book an expert-led Discovery Visit to develop scientific skills through the investigation of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection both inside the house and in the gardens.
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Natural Philosopher's Trail (KS3) - Bolsover Castle Teachers' Kit
Explore Bolsover Castle through the lens of science. Discover the plants that were used to heal people, find out how water was pumped into the Venus Fountain and learn about the science behind horse training.
Geography
Why do forts guard our coastline and why was Beeston Castle built on a rocky crag? Understanding the locations of our historic places and the landscapes they sit within tells us a lot about life in the past. Consider the features of the landscape around different sites to uncover their stories.
Explore dramatic hilltops, valleys and coastlines to find out how medieval lords and monastic communities decided where to build their castles and abbeys.
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Construct a Crag! (KS2-KS3) - Beeston Castle Teachers' Kit
Discover the topography of Beeston Castle and consider why a hillfort, and later a castle, was built in this unique location.
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Falmouth's Great Fortress (KS1-KS2) - Pendennis and St Mawes Castle Teachers' Kit
Discover the importance of the location and construction of Henry VIII’s device forts in Falmouth with this investigative activity.
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A Mini Guide to Medieval Castles
Find out more about how the use of medieval castles changed to better understand their location in the landscape.
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Why Build Here? (KS2-KS3) - Whitby Abbey Teachers' Kit
Use Whitby Abbey as a case study to explore what medieval monastic communities considered when deciding where to build their abbeys.
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Gateway to an Empire (KS2-3) - Richborough Roman Fort Teachers' Kit
This activity highlights the connections between the Roman province of Britannia and the rest of the Roman Empire, encouraging students to consider who was travelling across the Empire and how, as well as developing their map-reading skills.
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Interactive Map: Lullingstone Roman Villa and the Darent Valley
Explore Lullingstone Roman Villla and the Darent Valley with this interactive map, developed in collaboration with the Darent Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme.
Design & Technology
Explore the design features of our historic places, and use them to help your learners understand past technologies, as well as designing and building their own structures.
Investigate a variety of bridge designs and find out hear from experts about how the new footbridge at Tintagel Castle was designed and constructed. Build your own prehistoric roundhouse, like the reconstruction at Beeston Castle, and uncover the special features of Tudor device forts like Deal Castle. Use Robert Adam’s neoclassical designs to inspire your own interiors and find out more about Art Deco design at Eltham Palace.
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Build A Prehistoric Roundhouse (KS2-KS3) - Beeston Castle Teachers' Kit
Build your own prehistoric roundhouse, just like the reconstruction at Beeston Castle and Woodland Park.
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Cantilever Challenge (KS2-KS3) - Tintagel Castle Teachers' Kit
Understand how the footbridge at Tintagel Castle is designed and engineered to inspire your own bridge building.
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The Making of Tintagel Bridge
Hear from experts about how the new bridge at Tintagel Castle was designed and constructed.
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Designing Deal (KS2-KS3) - Deal Castle Teachers' Activity Ideas
Consider the design features of Deal Castle to better understand the construction of device forts under Henry VIII.
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Design Your Own Robert Adam Interior (KS3-KS4) - Kenwood Teachers' Kit
Uncover the story of one of Britain’s most famous architects, Robert Adam, and use his work to inspire your own 18th-century interior.
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Technology and Luxury in an Art Deco Masterpiece: Eltham Palace - Google Arts and Culture Exhibit
Uncover the Art Deco interiors of Eltham Palace and find out more about the 20th-century technologies the Courtaulds introduced there in the 1930s.
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Amazing Arches (KS2) - Richborough Roman Fort Teachers' Kit
Explore the significance of arches in Roman architecture and explore Roman construction techniques to understand how Richborough’s arch was built.
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From Tree to Bobbin (KS1-3) - Stott Park Bobbin Mill Discovery Visit
Book an expert-led Discovery Visit to experience the Industrial Revolution at the UK’s only working bobbin mill.
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Water Wells and Donkeys (KS1-2, SEND) - Carisbrooke Castle Discovery Visit
Book an expert-led Discovery Visit to learn how the community at Carisbrooke Castle survived during a siege, how the treadwheel in the well house was powered, and what the role of the donkeys at the castle was in the past and today.
Art & Design
Creating their own art and design projects is a great way to introduce learners to life in the past. Use our historic places and their collections to help inspire your learners' artwork.
Uncover the splendour of illuminated manuscripts and the bold, striking colours of medieval heraldry. Investigate the intricate and fragile graffiti left behind by cell block prisoners at Richmond Castle, and use it to inspire your own designs. Discover the role of a reconstruction artist and encourage your learners to imagine what life might have been like in the south of England during the Norman Conquest. Discover our 'Painting Our Past: The African Diaspora in England' exhibition and learn more about the commissioned artists and their subjects.
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Design Your Own Graffiti (KS2-KS3) - Richmond Castle Cell Block Learning Pack
Use the graffiti from the cell block at Richmond Castle to inspire your own designs.
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Design an Illuminated Manuscript (KS3) - Mount Grace Priory Teachers' Kit
Take on the role of a medieval monk and design your own intricate, brightly coloured manuscript.
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1066: Draw Your Own Reconstruction (KS3-KS4+) - Pevensey Castle Teachers' Kit
Take on the role of a reconstruction artist to imagine how Pevensey Bay might have looked when the Norman army landed there on 28 September 1066.
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How to Make a Cardboard Shield
Learn how to make a cardboard shield incorporating your own coat of arms.
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Power on the Tower (KS1-3) - Warkworth Castle Teachers' Kit
Explore the ways the Percys used heraldry in the development of Warkworth Castle and use this understanding to create your own coats of arms.
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Face to Face (KS1-2) - Kenwood Discovery Visit
Book an expert-led Discovery Visit to learn about the purpose, form and content of portraits and self-portraits as well as the powerful use of symbolism.
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Painting Our Past: The African Diaspora in England Learning Pack (KS1-KS4+)
Use this pack to find out more about six newly commissioned portraits of figures from the African diaspora with links to English Heritage sites and the artists who painted them.
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Eltham Palace Art Deco Sketch Tour (KS4+)
Explore the luxurious Art Deco interiors of Eltham Palace with our sketch tour activity.
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Ranger's House Self-Led Artworks Guide (KS4+)
Use our artworks guide to explore the treasures of The Wernher Collection at Ranger's House.
Drama
Step into history by taking part in one of our role play activities. Encourage your learners to imagine the sights, sounds and smells of life in the past and help them understand decisions made and actions taken at pivotal moments in England's story.
Immerse your learners in medieval castle life by meeting the inhabitants of Orford Castle and role-playing a grand feast. Place them in the middle of the action at the Battle of Hastings and consider differing opinions on who should become king of England. Imagine a visit to the bath house at Wroxeter Roman City and stand by your gun as you learn about the duties of a Tudor gunner.
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Bathing Roman Style (KS1-KS2) - Wroxeter Roman City Teachers' Kit
Imagine that you are visiting the baths at Wroxeter Roman City. What sights, smells and sounds might you experience?
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Stand-To, Gunner! (KS1-KS3) - Pendennis and St Mawes Castle Teachers' Kit
Understand what life was like for Tudor gunners at Pendennis Castle by learning commands and taking on their duties.
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Meet the People of Orford Castle (KS2) - Orford Castle Teachers' Kit
Uncover the people behind the walls at Orford Castle and consider the roles they played in castle life.
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Medieval Feast Role Play (KS2-KS3) - Stokesay Castle Teachers' Kit
Take your place in a medieval great hall and act out your role at a grand feast.
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1066 Battle of Hastings Role Play (KS3) - Battle Abbey Teachers' Kit
Place yourself at the heart of the Battle of Hastings with this immersive role play activity.
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Royals, Rebels and Role Play (KS3) - Pevensey Castle Teachers' Kit
Use role play to consider different options about who should succeed William I as king of England in the months and years following his death.
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Performance at Portchester Castle Learning Pack (KS2-4)
Explore the story of the French Prisoners and their theatre at Portchester Castle with this pack, featuring historical information and suggested activities to support learning before, during and after your visit.
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HISTORY AROUND US: THE STORY OF PRISONERS AT PORTCHESTER (KS4) - PORTCHESTER CASTLE DISCOVERY VISIT
Book an expert-led Discovery Visit to Learn about the political and historical importance of Portchester Castle through the lives and plays of the French Prisoners of War who were imprisoned there in 1810.
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PRISONERS AT PORTCHESTER – A LOCAL HISTORY STORY (KS2) - PORTCHESTER CASTLE DISCOVERY VISIT
Book an expert-led Discovery Visit to see through the eyes of the prisoners and imagine the sights, smells and sounds of the castle, using drama to consider how it would feel to be imprisoned there.
Outdoor Learning
Gardens and landscapes are a truly cross-curricular learning environment. Throughout the centuries, the great outdoors has inspired poets, artists, writers and scientists alike.
Explore the unique stories of the gardens in our care and follow in the footsteps of the people who lived and worked in them. Whether at an English Heritage site near you, in the green spaces at your school, or in your own back garden, our Garden Stories and Activities resource is packed with creative ideas to take your teaching and learning outdoors.
We also have site-specific outdoor resources for Audley End House, Osborne and Walmer Castle to help you get the most out of your visit.
Download the Kit (7.9 MB)-
Audley End House and Gardens Outdoor Learning Kit (KS1-KS4)
Explore the grand outside spaces at Audley End with our spotter sheets and learning activities, including a landscape and tree trail, flora study guide and Special Ops PE activity.
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Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens Outdoor Learning Kit (KS1-3)
Use our historical information, sources and suggested activities to explore the outdoor spaces at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens.
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Belsay Hall, Castle, and Gardens Wild Child Sensory Trail (KS1-2, SEND)
Engage with the colours, sounds, smells and textures in the gardens at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens with our sensory trail.
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Osborne Outdoor Explorer Kit (KS1-KS3)
Use our explorer trail, bookable backpack resource and follow-up activities to explore the varied outside spaces at Queen Victoria's seaside home.
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Walmer Castle and Gardens Outdoor Learning Kit (KS1-KS3)
Discover eight acres of gardens, meadows and woodland at Walmer Castle using our spotter sheets and outdoor activities, including geography, science, art, English and maths-related learning ideas.
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From Plot to Plate (KS1-KS2) - Walmer Castle Discovery Visit
Book an expert-led Discovery Visit to get hands-on in our historic kitchen garden with the gardeners and team who care for our gardens today!
More to Explore
Book A School Visit
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Book online
Make an enquiry or amend your existing education visit booking using our online form and booking portal. Please note, your visit request is only confirmed once you receive a booking confirmaton email.
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By Email
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By Phone
Bookings are best made online, but if you'd prefer to speak to a member of the team, please call 0370 333 0606
